I'll try to get a Life In Congo story out of it, but in a nutshell, I just
got home from a 2 week roadtrip through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. The
highlights:

-Incredibly welcoming and hospitable people in Zim, of all colors. The white
farmers truly have a raw deal, but there seems to be another side to the
story that has some small amount of merit. Never ever met such accommodating
and helpful folks, living in fear of their own government.

-Saw 18 lions munching an antelope quite up close and personal. Never will
forget that meaty 'crunching' noise just four feet away...

-Saw a few dozen hippos right outside my tentsite in Mana Pools, as well as
a rogue Elephant wander right past my tent window. Heard a splash in the
night, and the next morning saw a few dozen Nile gators chawing down a Cape
Buffalo.

-Got attacked by a swarm of African Killer bees (no ****) and got stung
about 15 times before I could get inside the Landrover. *******s.

-Got to fish the Zambezi for Tigerfish for several days. Not such a simple
thing on a fly rod, and I am sorry to report no strikes, no hits. I feel
like I let you all down.

-Victoria Falls is stupendous, but too commercial.

-No ****, there I was. About 50 miles away from the nearest town, the broken
brake caliper laying in the dirt under the car and all the brake fluid
****ing out all over the ground, a flat tire with one flat spare and another
spare that did not fit, a jack that would not work, and all the lug nuts
several miles away at camp. And no beer.

--riverman